Now You See Them says ciao, for now

Remember back when Asheville first discovered Now You See Them (Shane Conerty, Dulci Ellenberger and Jason Mencer), busking at Pack Square (or some other downtown location), charming us with quirky, heartfelt lyrics, off-kilter instruments (ukulele! melodica!) and gorgeous harmonies? Remember how they told us their crazy story about getting deported from Australia and (this, in ‘09) said, “Asheville is fantastic because [busking] pays pretty well and the shows are starting to pay”?

They won our hearts. And the Last Band Standing contest (also in ‘09). They opened Bele Chere, played LAAFF and Blue Ridge Pride and the Mountain Sports Festival and the opening of Urban Outfitters. Shane shaved his huge beard and got rid of those bracelets (remember those?); Dulci modeled pretty dresses, the band bought a van and started touring and they won a bunch of awards in Xpress’ annual Best Of WNC (not in that order). They released an EP and a full-length and another full-length, and charmed us with sweet songs like “We Will Never Be Young again”:

And now they’re taking a break. Sigh. Of course, Shane and Dulci have developed solo projects. Dulci’s in Sweet Claudette. It’s not like we’ll never hear from the again. But still. Remember when they closed out their 2010 Bele Chere set off the stage, because a lightning storm shut down the power? So they all gathered together, in the crowd, and performed “My Home,” acoustic? (Relive it here.)

We’ll miss you, Now You See Them.

Happily, the band isn’t disbanding without a farewell. Catch a final (for now) show at The Bywater on Saturday, Sept. 29.

Here is the letter from the band:

Dear Family, Friends, and Fans of Now You See Them:

It’s been said that the only constant is change, and here in NYST Land, we’re discovering more and more the truth to that sentiment. From Pennsylvania to New York City, Hawaii to Australia and many countries in between, the three of us have lived, worked, traveled, and played together. Through laughter and tears, sweat and frozen pipes, we’ve continued…as a unit. We’ve depended on each other for inspiration, comfort and challenge, and we’ve made our living as professional musicians for over four years now. These are moments and memories we will never be able to replace, life lessons I’m sure we’ll each take with us as we go our separate ways to pursue a re-connection with our individual selves.

We don’t need to be flowery or sentimental, only to make you aware of the changes which affect you, our loyal family, friends, and fans. Though NYST is taking a break from this lifestyle we’ve all grown familiar with, our music lives on! It’s the legacy we’ve created with YOUR help; your support, your love, your belief in our potential. It’s the mark of our time together, the lessons we’ve learned and the joy we’ve shared through music. That doesn’t change, and it’s worth holding on to.

For our friends within driving distance of Asheville, NC, we’ll be having one last big shebang at The Bywater on Saturday, Sept. 29th. For our friends who are NOT within driving distance of Asheville, NC, we’re working on having this show streamed live on the internet. Keep an eye on our Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/nowyouseethem) for updates.

Thank you for all you’ve given us, individually and as a band. Not one of us is going to quit working in the music industry, so here’s to each of our future possibilities!

All the love,
Now You See Them
Shane Conerty, Dulci Ellenberger, and Jason Mencer

About Alli Marshall

Alli Marshall is the arts section editor at Mountain Xpress. She's lived in Asheville for more than 20 years and loves live music, visual art, fiction and friendly dogs. Alli is the winner of the 2016 Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize and the author of the novel "How to Talk to Rockstars," published by Logosophia Books. Follow me @alli_marshall